Improvement of crop and soil sustainability through green manuring in a rainfed lowland rice ecosystem

Studies were conducted through a series of experiments for five consecutive wet (July to October) seasons for sustainable and reliable rice yields sea son after season through effective management of internal resources and nit rogen management by leguminous green manure Sesbania cannabina syn. S. acul eata in the rainfed, lowland, rice-based ecosystem of the coastal region of eastern India, Green manuring with Sesbania aculeata increased rice yield by 7 q/ha. An increase of 3 q/ha was observed in comparison to beushening ( Beushening is cross ploughing in standing water under lowland rice ecosyste ms when rice plants are approximately 45 days old) without fertilizer and g reen manure treatment - which is the farmers' practice in this coastal regi on, It is also clear that there is enough scope to replace nitrogen fertili zers totally, a fact that will favour soil health and ecology, eliminate so il pollution and reduce the cost of input and increase the income of the fa rmer.